Apparatus for drafting textile slivers or rovings



July 2, 1940. E. L. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR DRAFTING TEXTILE SLIVERS 0R ROVINGS Filed Oct. 27, 1938 A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DRAFTING TEXTILE SLIVERS R- ROVINGS Edward L. Martin, Providence, R. L, assignor to H & B American Machine Company, a corporation of Maine Application October 27,

12 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in drafting apparatus for textile slivers and rovings; and has for one of its objects the provision of means for acting upon the strand of sliver or roving preliminary to its passage between a pair of draft rolls to separate andstraighten the fibers and arrange them into substantial parallelism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device through which the roving strand of sliver passes in its travel to a pair of draft rolls in which the construction of the device is such that a combing action will be imparted to the sliver so as to lay smooth and straighten into a substantial parallelism the fibers thereof preparatory to their being drafted.

Another object of the invention is the separation and straightening of the outer fibers of a moving strand of sliver or roving without com- Another object of the invention is the draft ing and redrafting of the slivers by means of a succession of drawing operations and the arranging of the fibers in substantial parallelism before being subjected to each drafting process.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal crosssectional view of a drawing mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a fragmentary portion of the drawing mechanism represented in Fig. 1, showing a sliver combing device located in a different, position; f

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic longitudinal crosssectional view of a modified arrangement of drawing mechanism embodying myinvention;

Fig. 4 is another. modification showing a diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a r drawing mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one form of a 5 sliver combing device made in accordance with my invention; a

\Fig. ,6 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 5, showing theentrance end thereof;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 5 showingthe discharge end thereof;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged central longitudinal crosssectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of a modified form of sliver combing device embodying my invention;

1938, Serial No. 237,260

Fig. 10 is an end view taken on the line l0-l0 of Fig. 9, looking into the entrance end of the device; a r a Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line ll-H of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the arcuate I2-l2 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of another modified form of sliver combing device; and

Fig. 14 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view taken on the line "-14 of Fig. 13.

It is desirable in drafting textile slivers or rovings that the fibers of the sliver being fed to the draft rolls be presented in as nearly a parallel condition as possible so as to prevent fuzzing, curling oroutward bending of the short fibers at the selvage edges and the outer surfaces of the material during the drafting process. In the past, various attempts have been made to improve the disposition of the fibers by the use of forming trumpets or condensers, but such priordevices have not been found to be entirely satisfactory since they were designed to act on the sliver to compress and condense the material so that it left the devices in amore compact state than it had before such treatment, and with no better parallelism of the fibers being obtained; and in order that the fibers may be separated and laid in substantial parallelism and with uniformity at the surface portions of the sliver, I have provided a hollow closed device through which the moving strand of sliver passes and is guided during its passage to a set of draft rolls, and I have further provided inside of the device a pluralityof serrations or ribs on one or more of the interior wall surfaces of the device against which the sliver has frictional contact.in passing through the device, and these serrations or ribs extendlongitudinally throughout the major portion of the device in the direction of the travel of the sliver, and they are so arranged as to act on the fibers on one or both sides of the sliver to provide a combing action thereon during its passage relative to the ribs through the device; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, there is illustrated in Fig. 1 a. conventional drawing mechanism consisting of a pair of feed rolls 20 and 2|, -a pair of discharge rolls 22 and 23, and a pair of intermediate drafting rolls 24 and 25. The

. in-the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1"

sliver 21 is raised by a carrier roller 23 and fed through the usual condenser guide ortrumpet 30 which is suitably fixed to the usual reciprocable traverse bar 3|, and in the' course of which feeding movement of the sliver 2| the above sets of upper and lower rolls of the drawing mechanism operate successively on the-sliver 21 with progressively increased velocities to impart the which are removably supported bythe lowerrolls of their respective set, are either leather or cork covered. The upper rolls may be weighted in any suitable manner-asis customary practice m the art, the particular weighting mechanism used forming no feature of the present invention.- As the sliver. 21 passes between the intermediate draft rolls 24 .and 25 in its travel from the feed rolls 20 and 2|, the sliver receives-an appreciable draft due to the faster velocity pf the rolls 24 and 25."

v,Inpassing from the set of-draft rolls 24 and V 25 to the front or discharge rolls-22. and 23, the drafted sliver 21 is caused to travel through a device which acts on the sliver during its passage therethrough to separate the fibers and straighten them by exerting thereon-a combing action on one or more surfaces of the silver soas to lay smooth and straightenout the outer fibers. The device '35. is supported by an 4 arm 34 fixedly secured to al traverse bar 36 'which is reciprocably arranged for movement parallel to the ases'of draft rolls of the mechanism by suitable mechanism, not shown, simultaneously with the reciprocation of the traverse bar I 1 The device 35 is shown in Figs.5 .to'8, inclusive, and comprises a hollow closed funnelshaped body having relatively conver'gin'g.top and bottom. walls 31 and 38 respectively, connected together by a pair of straight side wal1s-33"and 40 which are tapering in'heightfrom' one end to the other to form with the top and bottom walls a] central passage 4| of progressively diminishing height from the entrance end -.to the discharge end of the device andextending through- 1 out the'whole length of thebody for receiving and guiding a single strand of sliver or roving. As illustrated, the entrance end of the device is shown as being enlarged and fiaredoutwardly as indicated at 42 while the outlet 'or discharge end of the'devlce has been reduced in height and is flat and broad and of a generally rectangular formation in its exterior contour.

'In order to-separate and straighten the fibers of the sliver as it is caused to travel relative to the device during its movement thereth-rough,"I

have provided" on the inside of the'p'assage 4|, a

pl-urality of ribs 45 which-project'from the inner facesof -the upper and lower walls 31 and 38 respectively of the body, and the ribs 45 extend longitudinally thereof throughout substantially the whole length of the passage 4| foracting simultaneously on opposite sides of the sliver- ,upon frictional contact therewith and by the dragging effect due tothe feedingmovement of the sliver relative to the ribs to cause a combing action on the fibers disposed in the vicinity of the outer surface of such portions of the sliver. Asshown in Figs. 6 and'7,' the inside upper and a funnel device 35, which is arranged in the path of .travel' of the sliver-and interposed between 52 and 53, may be wound upon the usual bobbin, 1

intermediate draft rollers 58 and 59 and the front.

draft zon'e prior to being discharged at-the front of the machine- The funnel devices 35 and lower walls 3l-and 33 respectively of the body are serrated or notched across. the entire width of the passage 45 so that the fibers in the vicinity of the outer surface of the sliver at opposite sides thereof are separated by the ribs 45 and extend into the I grooves between alternate ribs to be straightened v and laid in general parallelism during the travel of the sliver through the device.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, I have "shown a modification of the drafting mechanism 11 shown in Fig. 1 and utilizing the same feed delivery and intermediate drafting rolls represented therein but difiering from that construction in the position-of theffunnel device 35 which in Fig. 3 is shown as-being placed in advance of the 1.

feed rolls 2!! and 2| to replace the condenser guide or trumpet 30 generally located in such position. In this modified construction the sliver 21 is fed by the carrier roller 23 to the funnelshaped device 35 where a combing action is im- 2 parted to thesliver in passingtherethrough to cause separation and better parallelism of the fibers preliminary to the silver being drafted during subsequent passage between the sets of draft rolls 2ll#-2l, 24-25 and 22-43 respectively. I

Inthe embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 there is represented a. slightly difl'erent arrangement of drawing mechanism consisting of a pair offeed rolls 50 and 5l,--a' pair of delivery or discharge rollers 52 and 53,-and three sets of upper and I lower intermediate drafting rolls 54-55, 56- 5 and 58 53 respectively.- The sliver 6!! tube drafted is fed by a carrier roller: GI to a funnel device 63' and passes through a longitudinal pas;-

sage therein, the inside of which has a serrated 3 portion for acting upon the sliver to. separate and straighten the fibers of the sliver upon'engagement therewith, the specific construction of the device 53 being hereinafter more fullyde scribed; After passage through .the device 63, 4

= the sliver. 50 is gi en an appreciable draft by' passage between the sets of drafting rolls 54 and 55 and 56 and 51 respectively. A second comb ing action is imparted to the sliver by means of the sets of draft rolls 54 and 55, and 56 and 5'I respectively, whichr'olls are rotated at substan tially-the same velocity, and hence do not operate upon the jsliver' to impart an appreciable draft thereto. The combed sliver 60, is again drafted inpassing between the sets of draft rolls 58 and 59, and 52 and 53 respectively,.after-which the sliver, upon: emerging from the draft rolls not shown; as is customary in the construction and-operation of such a arat s. A pair of rollers II and 12. of a smaller sizethan the usual 4 draft rolls are disposed'between the lastpair of set of delivery rollers 1 52.. and 53 respectively, whereby a slight amount of-slip. draft is im-' parted to the silver during its passage through 53 are fixedly mounted on-reciprocable traverse bars 13 which are usually employed in drawing mechanisms and impart movement of the devices -35 and 53 parallel with'the draft rolls.

As shown in Figs. 9 to12, inclusive, the funnel device 53 consists of a' hollow closed body having a passage 54' extending therethrough, andformed with upwardly curved ,upper and lower walls 65 and 36, and straight parallel side walls ill and 58 (see Fig. 12) The inside face of the upper wall I is shown in Figs. and 11 as being of a serrated formation to provide a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs II. The remaining portion of the passage is generally smooth and the passage 64 is reduced in height from the entrance end to the discharge end of the body. As shown in Fig. 10, the shape of the passage 64 is of generally circular contour and is reduced to one of generally rectangular formation at the outlet end of the device, The side walls 81 and SI, however, are generally parallel throughout their extent, as shown in Fig. 12.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I have shown another modifled construction of the funnel'device which is similar to that shown in section in Fig. 8 by having a body 14 formed with relatively converging upper and lower walls 15 and I6, and straight side walls 11 and 18 and with a central passage I9, but differs therefrom in that the side walls 11 and 18 instead of being parallel throughout the body as shown in Fig. 8, in the present instance diverge outwardly from a constricted portion 80 of the passage I8 near the entrance end of the device. The inside part of the funnel passage is provided with a plurality of spaced ribs" and 82 on the inner faces of its top and bottom walls respectively, the adjacent ribs 8i and 82 in each portion being inclined with respect to each other so as to radiate outwardly from a transverse line at the narrow portion of the passage 19 as a focal point whereby a broad spreading action will be imparted to the sliver during its travel through the device to the draft rolls so that it will be delivered thereto in a wide ribbon of uniform material.

These funnel devices 35, 63 and H may be constructed of metal, either cast or in sheet form, porcelain, or of suitable plastic molding compositions, such as for example, thermoplastic synthetic resin materials.

In accordance with my invention, it will be apparent that ,I have provided a device and improved process of drafting textile slivers whereby a better parallelization of the fibers is obtained preparatory to the drawing out operation, and at a minimum of expense. In the use of my improved device I intend that it be employed for the treatment of one sliver and there is frictional contact of the single strand of sliver with all the serrations or ribs on one or both sides of the sliver, and these ribs are so designed and employed in such number as to put a slight drag on the sliver during its passage through the funnel yet without subjecting the sliver to excessive friction and to cause a straightening and smoothing effect on the fibers by exerting a combing action thereon to render them more in parallelism. By making the side walls of the funnel devices 35, 63 and 14 either parallel or of diverging arrangement from the point of least width of the sliver conducting passage therein, there will then be no compression of the sliver to a greater degree of compactness as it leaves the discharge end of the device.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the construction illustrated but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of-a textile sliver or roving, said device comprising a hollow -.other to form a sively diminishing height extending throughout closed body open at its opposite ends and having a longitudinal passage extending throughout the entire length of said body for receiving and guiding the sliverin its travel through said device, said body having a plurality of ribs projecting from a walloi the body and extending throughout substantially the whole length of said passage for acting on the sliver upon contact therwith to project .into, separate and straighten into substantial parallelism the fibers in the vicinity of the outer surface of the engaged portion of the sliver during its longitudinal travel through the body.

2. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile sliver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed bodyopen at its opposite ends and of generally funnel-shaped formation having top and bottom walls with generally straight side walls tapering in height from one end to the longitudinal passage of progresthe entire length of the body for. receiving and guiding a single strand of sliver, the top wall of said body within said passage being serrated across its entire width to provide a ribbed formation projecting from the inside face of said wall and extending throughout substantially the whole length of said body for contact with and project into the fibers of the sliver to separate and straighten the fibers in the upper portion of the silver into substantially parallelism by acting with a combining action on the sliver during its travel through the body relative to the ribs.

3. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile sliver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body open at its opposite ends and of generally funnel-shaped formation having curved top and bottom walls with straight side walls tapering in height from one end to the other to form a longitudinal passage of progressively diminishing height extending throughout the entire length of the body for receiving and guiding a single strand of sliver, the, top and bottom walls of said body within said passage being serrated across its entire width to provide a ribbed formation projecting from the inside face of said wall and extending throughout substantially the whole length of said body for contact with the sliver to separate and straighten the fibers in the upper and lower portions of the sliver into substantial parallelism by simultaneously acting with a combing action on the sliver during its travel through the body relative to the ribs.

4. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelismthe fibers of a textile sliver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body open at its opposite ends and of generally funnel-shaped formation having converging top and bottom walls with generally straight side walls tapering in height from one end to the other to form a longitudinal passage of progressively diminishing height extending throughout the entire length of the body for receiving and guiding a single strand of sliver, the top wall of,

said body within said passage being serrated across its entire width to provide a ribbed fol-ma tion projecting from the inside face of said wall and extending throughout substantially the whole length of said body for contact with the sliver to separate and straighten the fibers in the upper portion of the sliver into substantial parallelism by acting with a combing action on the sliver during its travel through the body relative to the ribs, a plurality of ribs projecting from the inside faces of said upper and lower walls and extending longitudinally thereof, the ribs on said upper wall being opposite those on the lower wall,

said ribs being of finely spaced formation and each havingtapered sides and a pointed edge for engagement with the sliver to separate and straighten the fibers in the upper and lower portions of the sliver during its travel through the body.

5. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile silver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body member open at its opposite ends and having upper and lower converging walls joined together at their side edges by generally straight side walls to form a central passage throughout the whole length of the device and of progressively diminishing height from the entrance end to the discharge end thereof, and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs projecting from the inside face of one of said walls for frictional contact with the sliver to perform a combing action thereon during its passage through the device for straightening the fibers into substantial parallelism, the entrance end of he body being flared outwardly from a constricted portion of said passage, said side walls diverging outwardly from said constricted portion in the direction of the discharge end of the body to form a flat'broad outlet opening of reduced height than the entrance opening whereby said sliver Will be discharged from the device in a wide ribbon of greater width than its initial breadth upon entering the device, said ribs being angularly disposed to one another and radiating outwardly from said constricted portion of the passage to approach parallelism with the side walls of the body.

6. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile sliver or roving comprising a hollow closed body member open at its opposite ends and having upper and lower converging walls joined together at their side edges by straight side walls to form a central passage throughout the whole length of the device and of progressively diminishing height from the entrance end to the discharge end thereof, and a plurality of longitudinallyextending ribs projecting into said passage from the inside face of said upper and lower walls for frictional contact with the sliver to perform a combing action thereon during its passage through the device for straightening the fibers into substantial parallelism, the entrance end of the body being flared outwardly from a constricted portion of said passage, said side walls diverging outwardly from said constricted portion in the direction of the discharge end of the body to form a flat broad outlet opening of reduced height than the entranceopenilng whereby said sliver will be discharged from the device in a wide ribbon of greater width than its initial breadth upon entering the device, said ribs in each group being angularly disposed to one another and radiating outwardly from said constricted portion of the passage to approach parallelism with the side walls of the body.

'7. In a drafting mechanism, a pair of draft rolls, a support arranged adjacent said rolls, a sliver treating device secured to said support, said device comprising a hollow closed body open at its opposite ends and of generally funnelshaped formation having relatively converging top and bottom walls and generally straight side walls to provide a passage of progressively diminishing height extending throughout the entire length of said body for receiving and guiding a sliver to be fed to said draft rolls but without laterally compressing the sliver in passing through the passage, said body having a plurality of ribs in the top and bottom walls projecting from their inside faces and extending longitudinally thereof throughout substantially the entire length of the body for contact with the opposite sides of the sliver to separate and straighten the fibers in the upper and Lower surface portions of the sliver into substantial parallelism and to perform a combing action on the sliver during its travel through the body.

8. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile silver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body open at its opposite ends having a passageway therethrough for receiving and guiding the sliver in its travel through said device, and laterally spaced, longitudinally extending combing ribs extending into said passageway from one of its side walls and with its operating portions in substantial alignment transversely of said passageway for acting on the sliver upon contact therewith to penetrate into, separate and straighten into substantial parallelism the fibers in the vicinity of the outer surface of the engaged portion of the sliver during its travel through the 1 into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textilesliver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body .open at its opposite ends having a longitudinal passage extending throughout the entire length of said body for receiving and guiding the sliver in its travel through said device, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs inside and spaced laterally of said passage and depending inwardly into the same from one of its side walls, the free ends of said teeth being substantially in alignment laterally of the passage for acting on the silver upon contact therewith as it is fed through the device, said teeth being constructed and arranged to penetrate into, separate and straighten the fibers in the vicinity of the outer surface of the engaged portion of the sliver by projecting into the same to perform a combing action on thesliver in its longitudinal travel through the body.

10. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile silver or roving, said device comprising a hollow closed body open at its opposite ends having a passage therethrough for receiving and guiding the sliver in its travel through said device, and a plurality of spaced, raised combing members in opposed relation inside of said passage and projecting from opposite walls of the body, said members extending along the path of movement of the sliver or roving with the free ends of said combing members being in substantial alignment laterally of the passage for acting on the sliver upon contact therewith to penetrate into, separate, and straighten into substantial parallelism the fibers in' the vicinity of the outer surface of the engaged portion of the sliver during its travel through the device.

11. A devicelfor separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile sliver or roving in connection with the drafting of the same, comprising a guide member open at its opposite ends and having connected side walls extending in the-direction of travel of a moving strand oi! textile sliver or roving and forming a guideway through which said sliver or roving passes in its longitudinal movement, said guideway being relatively wide at its entrance end but constricted at the delivery end, said side walls being smooth and continuous from one end of the guideway to the other, and raised, longitudinally extending ribs between said side walls projecting into said guideway and extending along the path of movement 01 the sliver or roving for engaging the same to penetrate into, separate, and

straighten into substantial parallelism the fibers in the vicinity of the outer surface of the engaged portion of the sliver during its travel through the 15 device.

12. A device for separating and straightening into substantial parallelism the fibers of a textile EDWARD L. MARTIN. 15 

